The Web is grand. With its fame for hosting informative, easy-to-skim textual snippets and collaborative written works, people are spending more and more time reading online. Nevertheless, the Web cannot replace the authoritative transmissions from certain classic books that have delivered (or will deliver) profound ideas around the globe for generations.
The 30 books listed here are of unparalleled prose, packed with wisdom capable of igniting a new understanding of the world. Everyone should read these books before their 30th birthday.
- Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse – A powerful story about the importance of life experiences as they relate to approaching an understanding of reality and attaining enlightenment.
- 1984 by George Orwell – 1984 still holds chief significance nearly 60 years after it was written in 1949. It is widely acclaimed for its haunting vision of an all-knowing government which uses pervasive, 24/7 surveillance tactics to manipulate all citizens of the populace.
- To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee – The story surveys the controversial issues of race and economic class in the 1930’s Deep South via a court case of a black man charged with the rape and abuse of a young white girl. It’s a moving tale that delivers a profound message about fighting for justice and against prejudice.
- A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess – A nightmarish vision of insane youth culture that depicts heart wrenching insight into the life of a disturbed adolescent. This novel will blow you away… leaving you breathless, livid, thrilled, and concerned.
- For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway – A short, powerful contemplation on death, ideology and the incredible brutality of war.
- War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy – This masterpiece is so enormous even Tolstoy said it couldn’t be described as a standard novel. The storyline takes place in Russian society during the Napoleonic Era, following the characters of Andrei, Pierre and Natasha… and the tragic and unanticipated way in which their lives interconnect.
- The Rights of Man by Tom Paine – Written during the era of the French Revolution, this book was one of the first to introduce the concept of human rights from the standpoint of democracy.
- The Social Contract by Jean-Jacques Rousseau – A famous quote from the book states that “Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains.” This accurately summarizes the book’s prime position on the importance of individual human rights within society.
- One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez – This novel does not have a plot in the conventional sense, but instead uses various narratives to portray a clear message about the general importance of remembering our cultural history.
- The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin – Few books have had as significant an impact on the way society views the natural world and the genesis of humankind.
- The Wisdom of the Desert by Thomas Merton – A collection of thoughts, meditations and reflections that give insight into what life is like to live simply and purely, dedicated to a greater power than ourselves.
- The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell – Gladwell looks at how a small idea, or product concept, can spread like a virus and spark global sociological changes. Specifically, he analyzes “the levels at which the momentum for change becomes unstoppable.”
- The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Graham – Arguably one of the best children’s books ever written; this short novel will help you appreciate the simple pleasures in life. It’s most notable for its playful mixture of mysticism, adventure, morality, and camaraderie.
- The Art of War by Sun Tzu – One of the oldest books on military strategy in the world. It’s easily the most successful written work on the mechanics of general strategy and business tactics.
- The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien – One of the greatest fictional stories ever told, and by far one of the most popular and influential written works in 20th-century literature. Once you pick up the first book, you’ll read them all.
- David Copperfield by Charles Dickens – This is a tale that lingers on the topic of attaining and maintaining a disciplined heart as it relates to one’s emotional and moral life. Dickens states that we must learn to go against “the first mistaken impulse of the undisciplined heart.”
- Four Quartets by T.S. Eliot – Probably the wisest poetic prose of modern times. It was written during World War II, and is still entirely relevant today… here’s an excerpt: “The dove descending breaks the air/With flame of incandescent terror/Of which the tongues declare/The only discharge from sin and error/The only hope, or the despair/Lies in the choice of pyre or pyre–/To be redeemed from fire by fire./Who then devised this torment?/Love/Love is the unfamiliar Name/Behind the hands that wave/The intolerable shirt of flame/Which human power cannot remove./We only live, only suspire/Consumed by either fire or fire.”
- Catch-22 by Joseph Heller – This book coined the self-titled term “catch-22” that is widely used in modern-day dialogue. As for the story, its message is clear: What’s commonly held to be good, may be bad… what is sensible, is nonsense. Its one of the greatest literary works of the 20th century. Read it.
- The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald – Set in the Jazz Age of the roaring 20’s, this book unravels a cautionary tale of the American dream. Specifically, the reader learns that a few good friends are far more important that a zillion acquaintances, and the drive created from the desire to have something is more valuable than actually having it.
- The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger – This novel firmly stands as an icon for accurately representing the ups and downs of teen angst, defiance and rebellion. If nothing else, it serves as a reminder of the unpredictable teenage mindset.
- Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky – A smooth-flowing, captivating novel of a young man living in poverty who criminally succumbs to the desire for money, and the hefty phychological impact this has on him and the people closest to him.
- The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli – This book does a great job at describing situations of power and statesmanship. From political and corporate power struggles to attaining advancement, influence and authority over others, Machiavelli’s observations apply.
- Walden by Henry David Thoreau – Thoreau spent two years, two months and two days writing this book in a secluded cabin near the banks of Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts. This is a story about being truly free from the pressures of society. The book can speak for itself: “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.”
- The Republic by Plato – A gripping and enduring work of philosophy on how life should be lived, justice should be served, and leaders should lead. It also gives the reader a fundamental understanding of western political theory.
- Lolita – This is the kind of book that blows your mind wide open to conflicting feelings of life, love and corruption… and at times makes you deeply question your own perceptions of each. The story is as devious as it is beautiful.
- Getting Things Done by David Allen – The quintessential guide to organizing your life and getting things done. Nuff said.
- How To Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie – This is the granddaddy of all self-improvement books. It is a comprehensive, easy to read guide for winning people over to your way of thinking in both business and personal relationships.
- Lord of the Flies by William Golding – A powerful and alarming look at the possibilities for savagery in a lawless environment, where compassionate human reasoning is replaced by anarchistic, animal instinct.
- The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck – Steinbeck’s deeply touching tale about the survival of displaced families desperately searching for work in a nation stuck by depression will never cease to be relevant.
- The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov – This anticommunist masterpiece is a multifaceted novel about the clash between good and evil. It dives head first into the topics of greed, corruption and deception as they relate to human nature.
- BONUS: How To Cook Everything by Mark Bittman – 900 pages of simple instructions on how to cook everything you could ever dream of eating. Pretty much the greatest cookbook ever written. Get through a few recipes each week, and you’ll be a master chef by the time you’re 30.
- BONUS: Honeymoon with My Brother by Franz Wisner – Franz Wisner had it all… a great job and a beautiful fiancée. Life was good. But then his fiancée dumped him days before their wedding, and his boss basically fired him. So he dragged his younger brother to Costa Rica for his already-scheduled honeymoon and they never turned back… around the world they went for two full years. This is a fun, heartfelt adventure story about life, relationships, and self discovery.
Glen Allsopp says
Great list, I have so many books to read right now it is pretty ridiculous
I am enjoying them though 😉
Cheers,
Glen
Josh Miller says
Rats, I only have a year and a half to read 29 books.
Lance says
What a comprehensive list of great books! I have several now to add to my nightstand (and I’m over 30!). Better late than never, though.
My oldest son has a love for reading that I wish I had developed at his age. There is so much knowledge in written text.
LobotoME says
Great reading list! I’ve read most of these but I added the others to my list. And I do need to get to War & Peace. It has been on my bookshelf for over a decade!
2 other of my must reads: Eat Pray Love & Tales of a Female Nomad.
Jenny 🙂
Marc says
@All: Thanks for the additions and kind remarks. 😉
Benjamin Goering says
I love lists like this, and this is a very well compiled one. The only novel I would add is Toni Morrison’s “Song of Solomon.” Her book is absolutely stunning.
Ron@TheWisdomJournal says
Wow! I’m behind!
I’ve read a lot of these because they were required in my High School, but there’s a big difference between “having” to read them and “wanting” to read them…
Alex Shalman says
This is an excellent list, I’ve read more than half of them, and most of the others are on my list. Good job!
Toblerone @ Simple Mom says
Great books! I’d add Jane Eyre, The Narnia Chronicles, and The Brothers Karamazov.
Avani-Mehta says
That’s a great list. I have read only a few from the above list.
Dan says
I like the list, but what about Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged? If you want to understand the relationship between capitalism, government and charity, there is no better book.
Stephen says
I think you should include Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley. 1984 and Brave New World are pretty similar, but the latter was written in the 20’s. it’s pretty interesting to see which things Aldous wrote came true so far, considering it takes place several hundred years ahead of us.
Amy says
Darn! I’ve only read 9 books in your list. No worry though, I still have 8 years to finish your list. 🙂
Melissa says
In a list of thirty books, you recommend only one female writer? Enough said.
Marc says
@Melissa: Most of these books just happen to be our favorite classics. I assure you, we never intended to leave female writers off the list. Angel didn’t even realize it. Sorry again. 😉
Tedel says
Quite a good list, but I think you forgot a must: The Picture of Dorian gray, by Oscar Wilde.
thomas says
good list
should add a book named “the tomorrow file” I can’t remember the author but it was written in the 1930’s I think.
I’ve read a hand full of the ones’ on this list and I’ve heard of almost all the others
only a few to read in less than a year till I turn 30 🙂
Paul says
Great list, I would include a few more: On the Road by Kerouac as well as The Alchemist
SFD says
One book I would say is an absolute necessity on the list…
For Us, the Living, by Robert Heinlein
Most eye-opening books that deal with future possibilities usually do so by showing you the worse case scenario. For Us, The Living, does things very differently. Instead of telling you what can go wrong, it tells us what can go right. Filled to the brim with revolutionary social, economical, ideological, and political ideas, For Us, the Living, is less a novel and more a manual on how to make a country a paradise.
Jessica says
This is a great list.
Many of these are on my bookshelf.
However, even if you aren’t a Christian and have no interest in God, I think that the Bible is a must-read for anyone. It is, after all, the best-selling book of all time. 🙂 Definitely was one of the biggest influences on society as we know it.
Causticstorm says
…Awful lot of male writers there, dont you think?
Maybe some Alice Walker or Sylvia Plath? Maybe?
Paul Cole says
Suprised that The Diceman hasn’t got a mention.
Absolutely timeless and blew my mind when i read it
Just a Girl says
I don’t read much books but yup,Dorian Gray is one i have read and is missing from the list,in my opinion.
;-)!
Tiffany says
I think “The Celestine Prophecy” by James Redfield should be added to that list.
Tiffany says
I think this is a great list but I would have loved to see “The Celestine Prophecy” by James Redfield added to the list.
Memarie Lane says
I would add:
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
and remove 100 Years of Solitude.
Julio says
Lolita is from Vladimir Nabokov besides “Pnin”, “Bend Sinister”.
Lori says
Interesting list. I would add “The Handmaid’s Tale,” by Margaret Atwood. It’s a haunting foray into a possible future.
grrrl says
yeah, I would recommend BACKLASH by Susan Faludi to understand why you didn’t even think to include the thoughts of more than one woman.
gru says
Great list! I want to add Heart of Darkness to the list.
hmm well maybe the list of 100 books everyone should read before 100? 🙂
sean says
I agree I would have included Brave New World instead of 1984, for same reasons listed.
Noir says
Why is it that every pretentious person who pushes a reading list always has to bring up T.S. Eliot? Frankly, his poetry is boring and nowhere near the quality or profound nature required of being on a reading list. Requesting anyone read him is akin to saying one should wipe his bum with sandpaper, just to see how it feels.
If you want profound poetry, read the less high brow “Howl” by the late Allen Ginsburg, or read “Leaves of Grass” by William Wordsworth. T.S. Eliot is a waste of time and of little importance, unless you want to lord over your reading prowess like a snob.
Nick says
No mention of the book that created Western civilization itself?
Priyanga says
Great list, but why before 30? I’ve read many, but all can be enjoyed and impact a person at any age!
Maikeru76 says
Interesting reading list…
My essentials are:
Art of War…(for me…this would be an “anti-war” treatise…)
1984…(Big Bro is my homeboy!)
Animal Farm by George Orwell (a cautionary tale about replacing the “old order” with the “new”)
Great Post…! You are on my GoogleReader! c”,
peter bognot says
100 years of solitude? war and peace? the republic?
you must be kidding…are you a college professor?
because the books that you recommended are college readings.
100 years of solitude????the author can’t even think of new names for the characters! He keeps on repeating them again and again to the agony of the readers.
peter bognot says
what about harry potter 1 or the da vinci code or patriot games?
why do all the reading lists that i come across always include books more than a 50 years old? why not include new books for a change.
Scott says
I already blew it. I’m 37. But a nice list… Do books on tape count?
Bob says
Missing one, “The Total Money Makeover” by Dave Ramsey. There is no telling where I would be today if I had this book before I was 30 or even better before I was 20.
Ulmo Patiostoné says
Hesse was a fine choice. He’s also a brilliant poet. I read a small volume of his poetry with translations on the right hand page and the original on the left. Although I don’t read German, I would hazard a guess that the original must be awesome simply because it translates so movingly and stunningly in emotional terms.
Also, The Prophet by Khalil Gibran is unspeakably beautiful. He died in the fifties (I think) but his words and ideas will live forever.
So, there are two amazing poetry books and I don’t even LIKE poetry normally.
Also, for some of the commenters here, it IS acceptable to have read more than 30 books by the time you are thirty. `(;)
Thanks for a swell list.
Joe says
Noir: Leaves of Grass by William Wordsworth? I hope no one tells Walt Whitman.
I would suggest Jane Jacobs’ The Death and Life of Great American Cities. It’ll forever change the way you interact with your built environment.
Also, Elliot is an occasionally astonishingly great poet.
Sara at On Simplicity says
I think I’ve got enough time to tackle this… And score! I’m reading The Fellowship of the Ring right now.
I’m sure everyone has a handful of titles they would add, but I love hearing what you think is important.
(By the way, my adds would probably be Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison and The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder.)
Ribeezie says
I’ve read: #’s 3, 8, 9, 14, 19, 20, 21, 27 & 29
“The Catcher in the Rye” was one of my favorites growing up 😛
An as for Dale Carnegie’s “How to Win Friends & Influence People”… It’s a MUST READ! One of the best books I’ve read. Someone gave it to me as a gift. Once I finished reading it, I gifted it to someone else with the instruction to carry on the trend 😛 It’s a great book with excellent advice. I don’t doubt I’ll read it again…
peter bognot says
i would add – sue grafton’s a,b,c series to the list.
lawrence block burglar series
the first 4 harry potter books
frederick’s forsyth’s the dogs of war & the devil’s alternative
Alyssa Forgione says
I read most of these during high school
Diego says
Great list. I read many of the books in the list and I am about to read some others. Many of them are not so easy to read. Mostly, the ones that are not novels. For example, I started but never finished “The Prince”.
1984 was a great book indeed, but from Orwell, I rather liked “The Animal Farm” : a very clever illustration on how power and corruption always ends up breaking appart authoritative regimes in spite of their honorable social objectives. I always tend to think more about that book when I read news on the paper than about 1984.
I just turned 30 this year, and there’s a book I would recommend for anyone getting at this age, it’s “The World According To Garp” by James Irving. I always have a hard time trying to give an abstract of what the book is about. Any abstract would just kill it. It’s like “100 years of solitude” by Marquez, this books is so much more about the idea of preserving our cultural history. The beauty of this book lies indeed more in its narration and in the surreal events depicted in it than in the plot itself. But, the way I interpreted the plot was that life doesn’t end with your own physical end, there’s something in your family legacy that creates a link among the members of it, you unconciously inherit the memory of the past and the history of your ancestors, they are somehow still present and keep living through you.
angshu says
Interesting list. Have read more than half, would add the remainder to my “to-read” list. thanks
I would also have
1) Good Earth – Pearl S Buck
2) Fountainhead – Ayn Rand
3) A Story About a Real Man – Boris Polevoi
Jordan says
“Once you pick up the first book, you’ll read them all.” Can you be serious? The Hobbit was good, The Lord of the Rings was boring and I couldn’t get past 50 pages of Two Towers.
Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand MUST be put on that list, replace the LOTR trilogy with it.
Marc says
Thanks to everyone for the additions. As for the comments about only having one woman author… in retrospect, I agree. But believe it or not, my wife helped me create this list. Neither one of us realized it until the very end. These books just so happen to be some of our favorites (most are classics). Feel free to add more to the list. 😉